(From the Ohio State Highway Patrol)

Upper Sandusky residents Mary Harbour and Wilma Savidge joined Ohio’s “Saved by the Belt” Club today after their safety belts saved them from sustaining life-threatening injuries. The crash occurred on U.S. 23 in Grand Prairie Township on September 13.

Ohio State Highway Patrol Sergeant Mark A. Menendez, Marion Acting Post commander, presented them with “Saved by the Belt” certificates signed by Ohio Department of Public Safety Director Andy Wilson and Colonel Charles A. Jones, Patrol superintendent.

“Mary and Wilma are living testimonies to the effectiveness of safety belts,” Sergeant Menendez said. “Everyone needs to buckle up every trip, every time.”

Provisional data from 2023 shows 476 people in Ohio were killed in traffic crashes where a safety belt was available, but not in use. For up-to-date statistics and information on safety belts, log onto the Patrol’s Safety Belt Dashboard at https://www.safetybeltdashboard.ohio.gov/.

The “Saved by the Belt” Club is a joint effort by the Ohio Department of Public Safety and the Ohio State Highway Patrol. This club is designed to recognize people who have benefited from their decision to wear safety belts.

They also received “Saved by the Belt” license plate brackets.